Golf balls are generally of solid or wound construction and include at least a core and cover and/or outer coating. Solid golf balls typically provide better distance than wound balls, due to their lower driver initial spin. However, a wound construction tends to provide a softer “feel” and higher spin rate—which accomplished golfers prefer, being able to adeptly control the ball's flight and positioning.
A core may be solid or fluid-filled, and may be formed of a single layer or one or more layers. Covers may likewise be formed of one or more layers. At least one intermediate layer may optionally be disposed between the cover and the core. Alternatively, one piece golf balls are even available.
Play characteristics, such as spin and compression, can be tailored by varying the properties of one or more of the core, intermediate and/or cover layers. By altering solid golf ball construction and composition, manufacturers can vary a wide range of playing characteristics such as resilience, durability, spin, and “feel”, optimizing each according to various playing abilities and achieving a solid golf ball possessing feel characteristics more like their wound predecessors.
Meanwhile, color in a golf ball, being a dominant visual feature, is also capable of positively contributing to and enhancing a golfer's game. For example, when the human eye is drawn to the golf ball more easily, a player's ability to focus on the golf ball when swinging a club and striking the ball may be improved. By keeping an eye on the ball, the golfer is able to remain focused on the immediate task at hand of maintaining hand-eye coordination and producing great balance during swing with consistent spine angle in order for the club face to strike the golf ball with just the right force, depending on the chosen club and desired distance. In this way, a golf ball's unique visual appearance can influence and improve the golfer's physical performance substantially.
Simultaneously, golf balls that are attractive and exude superior quality will also positively contribute to the psychological aspects of a golfer's game by boosting the golfer's confidence and morale, thereby motivating, inspiring and ultimately peaking performance on the green. Additionally, visually superior golf balls may be spotted and located more easily on the golf course, thereby reducing a player's stress level which naturally translates into improved scores. Accordingly, golf ball manufacturers desire to incorporate color in golf balls in order to beneficially impact and improve both the physical and emotional/psychological aspects of a golfer's game.
Toward this end, golf ball manufacturers have heretofore modified a golf ball's dimple arrangement by varying dimple size and shape in order to improve overall golf ball appearance and aerodynamics. There remains a need, however, for methods and golf balls directed to visually enhancing a golf ball's dimple arrangement utilizing color, which the present invention addresses and solves by coordinating and contrasting the color of the dimples with the color of the land area.